Camellia Tea Mite

Prune off affected growth and put it in the rubbish bin.

Camellia tea mite. Camellia bud mites are a type of mite that is most apparent in the buds of the blossoms. These pests can live under the leaves of the plant but usually stay inside the flower buds. Foliage develops a bronze discolouration down the central midrib of the leaf. Three species of spider mites attack camellias.

Tea scale is a small insect that attaches itself to the leaf and sucks plant juices. Symptoms the effects of camellia tea mite can be noticed in the cooler months when a bronze discolouration develops on the foliage. Also known as the ribbed tea mite it s a pest of the tea plant camellia sinensis and ornamental camellias. Left unchecked bronzing envelopes the entire leaf and poor growth and reduced flowering result.

You re the proud owner of the camellia s most common pest the tea scale. Camellia tea mites cause bronzing along the middle of the leaf and leaves may curl and have a dull appearance. Then they insert feeding mouthparts into the plant to suck sap. The southern red spider mite is the most common in the southeast.

Camellias that drop their buds year after year may have a varietal problem or a problem of location that can be solved by transplanting. The purple mite calacarus carinatus is also known as the purple camellia mite the purple tea mite camellia and tea are closely related plants and cha geom eun hog eung ae. These mites are microscopic the adult female mite is about a hundredth of an inch long. The southern red spider mite oligonychus ilicis the tea red spider mite o.

Camellia bud mites cause buds to develop slowly and either open late or fall off before opening. Adult female tea scales are about 1 10 inch long and are covered with a hard brown cover. It likes warm dry weather which could be why we have seen it more in the past few seasons. Tiny immature scales called crawlers walk on six legs until they locate a suitable leaf twig or trunk to feed.

If you see browning edges on your camellia buds this may be the diagnosis. Purple mites are indeed purple but they are virtually microscopic. Tea scale is the most serious insect pest of flowering camellias. Note that other mites found on tea also have reddish eggs.

The southern red spider mite develops best in cool weather reproducing primarily in the spring and fall. The camellia tea mite also called the camellia red spider mite has been around for some time. Populations are primarily composed of females with males less than 1 percent of the population. As a group scales are interesting and often very destructive insects.

Bud mites on camellias cause a slowdown in the development of the flower buds.